Long distance couldn’t separate this pair…
The love story between Megan and Donald started when they worked together at a solar company in Brisbane. Both were in relationships at the time, so they became friends but lost touch when they both left the company. Donald travelled north for work, and a few years later reconnected with Megan on Facebook. Finally their timing was right.
They clicked (literally) and soon started dating – and not just dating, but maintaining a long distance relationship for two years. This was the first test of strength, honesty and trust for Megan and Donald, and, where many have failed, these two succeeded.
Donald eventually moved back to Brisbane, and they tested the next stage of their relationship – moving in together. Once again, they succeeded, so they decided to test the ultimate faith in their relationship – buying a house to renovate. Thankfully Megan had already accepted Donald’s proposal by this stage and now, with their renovations almost complete, they look forward to moving onto the next phase of their lives.
Images by Amy Hinks
Wedding Ceremony
Megan and Donald celebrated their ceremony and reception at the Noosa Waterfront Restaurant & Bar surrounded by 100 of their closest family and friends. With afternoon thunderstorms predicted, plans A to D were put in place for the ceremony. Thankfully the weather held out and the ceremony went ahead as originally planned.
It was really important to the couple to have a laid back wedding day with their friends and family, and they achieved this by carefully choosing their suppliers. After meeting a number of celebrants, they chose Fiona Duce from Coastal Weddings, who worked closely with the couple to create a fun ceremony, with a focus on their love story. Photographer, Amy Hinks kept the day light and fun and captured great natural shots and wedding stylist Annie from First Class Functions kept Megan’s stress to a minimum by carefully planning the final touches for the day.
Wedding Planning
Megan cut down costs by putting her DIY skills to work, making wedding favours with help from friends and family – homemade jams and chutneys in small jars decorated with kraft labels and jute. She also made the invitations, menus, wedding programs and advice cards, and had the wedding cake made by one of her close friends.
“By making a lot of the smaller items myself we saved a lot of money which meant we could put more towards the things that were important to us, like inviting more guests, my dream dress and a bar tab that lasted the whole night!” She said.
Engagement Shoot
“Having an engagement shoot is also something I highly recommend. Amy Hinks Photography offered this as part of our package and by having a practice run we got all the awkward shots out of the way before the wedding day and it gave us a chance to get to know our photographer. On the day Donald was much more relaxed getting his photo taken, some would even say he was a bit of a pro!” said Megan.
The Special Moments
The couple said the best part of their wedding was spending time with their closest friends and family.
Megan said, “We both had an amazing day and got to catch up with friends and family that we don’t get to see too often.”
“It was a very humid day and it got very hot inside the restaurant as the meals were served, with more than 100 guests inside. Luckily, we had seating areas set up by First Class Functions on the lawn outside the restaurant overlooking the water. They set up lounges and tables and chairs for guests to spread out after dinner, which helped everyone cool off and created an interactive and fun environment.
“One of the most special parts of the day was having two members of my bridal party travel from overseas, my sister who travelled from Canada and one of my best friends who came over from Singapore. Having them there by my side made the whole day so much fun. Our entire bridal party was absolutely amazing and we had a whole heap of fun during the photoshoot along the Noosa River, sipping on champagne and catching up.”
Megan and Donald with their celebrant, Fiona Duce. Fiona is a longtime local of the Sunshine Coast and celebrant who adores the process of being a wedding celebrant from meeting the couple and getting to know them, right through to being by their side on the big day when they become husband and wife. Fiona authored today’s post, sharing Megan and Donald’s beautiful love story and wedding.
Ceremony & reception: Noosa Waterfront Restaurant & Bar | Celebrant: Fiona Duce – Coastal Weddings | Photographer: Amy Hinks Photography | Dress: Anne Bertossi, Paddington Weddings | Suit: Rhodes & Beckett, Myer | Bridesmaid dresses: Two Birds | Groomsmen suits: Rhodes & Beckett, Myer | Makeup: Pru Edwards Makeup | Hair: Kirra Calleja – Calleja Artistry | Styling: First Class Functions | DIY: handmade invitations, menus, programs and wedding favours | Honeymoon: Hawaii | Budget: $35,000
